Bentley Bentayga running costs and mpg

• With premium cars come premium costs
• No longer a lower emission diesel option
• Plug-in hybrid is the least expensive to run

It goes without saying here that the twin-turbo 12-cylinder petrol engine is not going to be cheap to run. It’s a case of relativity here, though. If you purchase a car priced well into six figures new, in theory you should also be able to afford to keep the thing on the road.

Bentley claims fuel economy of 19.2mpg should be possible, and for once we agree. We managed slightly more still over our time with the car according to the on-board trip computer without a particular eye on saving petrol. This car also puts out 335g/km of CO2.

The V8 is marginally better at 21.2mpg and 302g/km of CO2, but it's the plug-in hybrid that boasts the lowest running costs. Bentley says 80.7mpg and 79g/km of CO2 should be possible here.

The previously available diesel engine was a strong performer here, with a promised 35.3mpg and 210g/km of CO2, although this is no longer on sale in the UK.

It won’t come as much of a surprise that insurance and tax groups are both as high as they get, and servicing isn’t going to be cheap either, though it will be a very comfortable experience.

Reliability

• Likely to be very reliable
• New engines a potential sticking point
• Technology used elsewhere, however

With the (reasonably) newly fettled, SUV-readied W12 engine and plug-in hybrid you’d be forgiven for thinking the Bentley Bentayga’s reliability could be questionable, but the reality is it’s built using many parts from elsewhere in the Volkswagen-Audi Group (it’s based on the Audi Q7’s platform) so actually it should fare well. There haven’t been any significant recalls for the Q7 at all.

Furthermore, the build quality of the Bentayga feels exemplary. There were no indications of loose trim or rattles during our test drive.